Collapsible stringed instrument



Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

I UNITED STATES LIVINGSTON WELGH, OF NEVI YORK, 11'. Y.

COLLAPSIBLE STRIIIGED INSTRUMENT.

Application filed August 13, 1927. Serial No. 212,656.

The present invention is concerned with I the provision of a stringed instrument for practice, an object of the invention being to provide a stringed instrument which may be played by a student or artist in a small apartment without annoyance to the occupants of neighboring apartments.

A further object of the invention is to provide an instrument of this kind which is readily collapsible so that it will occupy only a small amount of space when folded for purposes of transportation or storage.

Another object of the invention is to provide an instrument of this character which will be of extremely simple, practical construction, which will be rugged, durable and efficient in use, light in weight and well suited to the requirements of economical manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an instrument of this character which, when in use, will have the natural feel to a player of a regular instrument. More specifically, while the device of the present invention is of general skeleton formation, it is provided with false-built up body engaging portions, sothat all portions of the instrument which engage the players body will feel quite natural when the device is being used.

WVith the above noted and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of constructions and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims. The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. lis a plan view of a collapsible muted cello embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section through the cello.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the folded skeleton frame.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the detachable body-engaging false wall sections. 7 For the sake of illustration I have shown the valve embodied in a cello, but it is to be understood that it is capable 'of embodiment in various generally'similar or analogous instruments, such for instance as violins, bass viols and Violas.

Referring with particularity to the drawings, I have used the reference numerals 10 inasmuch as the instrument is to be employed only for practice purposes or in very small gatherings where muting is desired. The two meeting flat sides 10 and 11 of the frames 10 and 11 are hingedly connected together as by a conventional type of plate hinge, 12.

An opening 13 is formed in the top of the member 10, and aligned openings 14 and 15 are formed in the straight mating sides 10 and 11 of the frames 10 and 11. These openings cooperatively receive the lower end of a rod 16 hearing the usual scroll 17 upon which is mounted the string board 18 of the cello. The lower end of the rod abuts a plate secured to the lower face of member 11 for a purpose to be later described. The upper end of the rod seats in the bottom of a socket in the scroll when the latter is in abutment with the top of the member 10. Thus, the rod 16 when in applied position serves to rigidly connect sections 10 and 11 and the scroll 17. The scroll carries the usual tuning posts 19 for the strings 20, these strings being led over a bridge 21 which rests against the frame portion 11,

and anchored as at 22 to an anchoring plate 23 carried by the bottom of the lower skeleton frame 11. If desired, the anchoring plate 23 might be carried by the usual pointed ferrule when the instrument is in use.

In order that the instrument may have the usual and comfortable feel to the students or artists who are playing it, I employ at the proper points false soundbox wall sections such as 25; these sections being detachably secured to the skeleton frames at the proper points to provide a pair of contact plates wh1ch engage the legs of a player, and a single plate which engages the players body. The plates 25 are preferably formed with dowels 26 fitting in prepared sockets in the frame members 11 and 10, and with anchoring screws 27 receiving Wing nuts 28 for tightly securing the members 25 in position.

Rigidity is lent to the assembly by the use of a tensioning tie rod 29, one end of which carries a hook 29 engaging an eye 24 which rests upon the floor 29 on a rearward extension 1'7 of the scroll 17 and the other end of which passes through an apertured plate mounted on frame member 11. This latter end of the ie rod is threaded as at 31 for the reception of a tightening wing nut 32'.

The rod 16 effectively locks the two frame members against pivotal movement about their hinges 12, and the tensioning tie rod 29 materially strengthens the rigidity of the entire assembly, eliminating any possibility of play adjacent the hinge, or adjacent the connection of the scroll with the upper frame member 10. 7

It will be noted that the instrument may be" conveniently knocked down and compactly folded for purposes of storage or transportation. Disassem'bly is effected by first disconnecting the anchored ends of the strings 20, at which time the bridge will drop off. Fer-rule 24 and anchoring plate 23 maybe removed readily, as may the false plates 25. By removing the nut 32, the scroll with its associated string board 18, rod 16 and tie rod 29 may be bodily withdrawn, leaving only the two frames 10 and 1 which may be folded over upon each other as seen in 3.

When the invention is embodied in other generally analogous types of instruments, such for instance as the violin, viola or bass viol, certain slight modifications will be necessary. It will be evident however. that various changes and alterations might be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the invention. Hence I do not wish tolimit myself to" the details set forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims I claim:

p 1. A collapsible stringed musical instrument of the class described including a skeleton body frame formed of a plurality of hingedly connected skeleton sections, a vscroll detachably connected to the body and a finger board carried by the scroll, the scroll attaching means comprising aligned openings in the said sections, and a rod passing through said openings and retaining said sections against hinged movement.

2. A collapsible stringed musicalinstrue ment of the class described including a skeleton body frame formed of a plurality of hingedly connected skeleton sections, a scroll detachably connected to the body and a finger board carried by the scroll, the scroll attaching means comprising aligned openings in the sections, a rod passing through said openings and retaining said sections against hinged movement, and a reinforcing tie rod adjustably connecting the scroll with one of the body frame sections.

Signed at New -York in the county of New York and State of New York this 11th day of August A. D. 1927.

LIVINGSTON W'ELCH. I 

